Identity and Purpose of Christ: Who is Jesus Anyway?

Description

Today, the traditional picture of Jesus is under an intellectual onslaught. Discover the true Jesus by walking through passages in the Bible that reveals who he is and why he came. People often ask how Jesus could claim that he is the only way to God. Find out how other major religions are not even headed in the same direction as Jesus. This is an opportunity to break down common misconceptions and stereotypes that prevent people from encountering the true Jesus.

Presenter - Eric Briner

Eric came to faith in Christ when an unbeliever shared with him all that he had heard about Jesus of the Bible. Eric grew up five miles from The City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, the largest Buddhist community in the Western Hemisphere. While studying music and drama at the University of California, Irvine, he developed friendships with several Muslim students from Iran. He has a passion to understand what others believe and help accurately communicate Jesus of the Bible. Eric served as the Arts Pastor of The Crossing in Newport Beach, CA. He is currently the director of the NAVS ministry at the University of Missouri-Columbia, Central Methodist University, and Linn State Technical College. He is also the artistic director of a children’s theater company, Shakespeare For Kids. Eric is married to his beautiful and gifted wife, Jennifer. They have five kids – James (15), Nathan (13), Rachel (12), Emma (9), and Maisey (5).

Daily Following Christ

Description

Jesus called ordinary people to follow Him, to come after Him and to become like Him. The call of Christ remains the same for us today, but what will it mean for us to follow Jesus Christ on campus and for a lifetime? What does it mean to deny ourselves? What does Jesus mean by taking up your cross? What does it mean to fish for men? This is an opportunity to grow in understanding what it means to really be a Christian, a Christ-follower. Once we understand what kind of life Jesus calls us all to, then they we can make a personal decision to follow and begin the adventure of a lifetime!

Presenter - Doug Sullivan

Doug Sullivan became involved with The Navigators while a student at the University of Arkansas. He served as a Navigator International Trainee two years in Zimbabwe in the mid ‘80s. After working in management and marketing in Kansas City and Branson, Missouri, he and Shawna joined The Navigators as collegiate staff in 1998. After helping re-start student ministries at the University of North Texas and University of Arkansas, they now serve as South Central Regional Directors and oversee campus ministries in Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana.

Pursuing Personal Purity (Men Only)

Description

"The pursuit of purity can often be derailed through various forms of immorality. The consequences of these sins touch every area of our lives and can lead to guilt, shame and hopelessness. You may feel like you’ve tried everything to stop, but you continue to fail and may not even know where to go for help. You are not alone in the battle against sin. By the grace of God you can learn not only to hate these sins, but to experience real change, freedom and the joy of restored relationship with God. The purpose of this workshop is to provide practical steps and straight talk that will lead you to the path of redemption, purity of life and holiness through the transforming power of the gospel of Jesus Christ."

Presenter - Brian Wachter

Brian Wachter is the Campus Director of the Iowa State Navigators. He and his wife Amy have been on staff with the Navigators for 8 years and have 4 children; Anna - 9, Kirsten - 8, Aiden - 5, and Abigail - 2 years old.

Becoming Women of Distinction (Women Only)

Workshop Description

Discussions on gender roles and femininity often become heated among young women in our culture. So many opinions assault women on a whole spectrum of values, life objectives, and world views. How is a young woman who wants to live for Christ to determine what is true, what is right, what is worth living for, and what God wants for her life? This workshop provides an opportunity for college-aged women to come face to face with their Creator and His plan for true femininity, beauty, and purpose. Women should come away encouraged and challenged to live counter-cultural by living according to God's standards for all of life.

Presenter - Mary Bennett

Mary has a passion for discipling women that began when she was in college in the 60's. She and her husband, Ron, have been ministering with the Navigators in a wide range of capacities and now currently in The Navigator Church Discipleship ministry. She is the mother of four grown children, authored "HighQuest: Women of Distinction" series and coauthored "Beginning the Walk". Her desire is to faithfully walk with the Lord through all the challenges of life and help others do likewise.

Biblical Priorities

Description

Internet, Facebook, videogames, cell phones, texting, instant messaging; all of these realities are supposed to free us from the “Tyranny of the Urgent”, but have they? Why do students on the college campus today constantly feel overwhelmed? The aim of this workshop is to help us think beyond “time management” to “priority management”. In the Scriptures, we continually see Jesus accomplishing the will of His Father AND making time for people. Learning to live within our own humanity with margin in this day and age is not always a high priority. Helping us grow in identifying God’s priorities for our lives, and really placing them first, enables us to gain back some of the sanity and peace that we so desperately long for amidst the crush of unending pressures of modern life.

Presenter - Steve Rugg

Steve Rugg started his relationship with Jesus his junior year at the U of Arizona through a Navigator friend who lived down the hall in his dorm. Walking with Jesus provided the eternal perspective and peace he had been searching for! Graduate school took him to the U of Illinois, where he met and married Navigator Staff Carol Gordon. They moved to Indiana where Steve worked as a mechanical engineer for 4 years, and ministered in his workplace and church. God led him to put aside his engineering career and join The Navigators in 1998. Since 2000, Steve has been the Director of Administration for the Collegiate Navigators in Colorado Springs, CO. He and Carol have been married for 15 years, and have an 8-year-old daughter Rebecca.

DNA of a Daily Quiet Time

Workshop Description

Most people have heard or read the scriptures before, but few know how to meet with the Author of them. Many people talk about how wonderful their quiet times are and the great things they get out of them. God so desperately wants to have this time with you. He wants so strongly to talk, listen and bless you daily. This workshop will explain how to explore the heart of your new best friend through this thing called a quiet time. Learn how to start and maintain a time with the Lord every day. Find out what it really means to have a quiet time, conversing with the God of the universe, anytime, anywhere.

Presenter - Nathan Fuller

Nathan Fuller grew up fifteen minutes from here in Kansas City! He came to have a relationship with the Lord at a young age while reading his Bible and having his first quiet time. He has been married to his lovely wife Jenna for over a year and a half now. Nathan has been around the Navigators for six years. After graduating from college with degrees in Marketing and Business Management, he and his wife started working for the Navigators full time and are on their second year of staff at Northwest Missouri State. Over the past three years Nathan has ministered short term in two countries in East Asia.

Unlocking the Mysteries of the Universe: Intro to Personal Bible Study

Description

The Bible contains the answers to life’s greatest questions: How did I get here? Where am I going? What is my purpose? This workshop will not answer those questions for you. Designed for those who are intimidated by the Bible, this workshop will give you some “keys” to help you “unlock” the Bible and discover for yourself the answer to life’s questions, great and small!

Presenter - Khoa Ha

Khoa has been known to wear shorts and flip-flops at seasonally inappropriate times. He is also an avid (but out-of-shape) ultimate frisbee player, golf hacker, and fantasy sports expert. He is also blessed with a beautiful wife and 4 super cute kids!

Developing a Powerful Prayer Life

Description

What is prayer, really? Why should I pray? How should I pray? What does the Bible have to say about all this? Prayer is a powerful and meaningful connection with our Creator, our heavenly Father, and mighty God. When you pray you are entering the divine. This workshop will help you revive and unleash your prayer life as well as help you understand and know God more deeply. We’ll look at what the Bible has to say about prayer and using stories and examples of how God has listened and answered in lives miraculously in the past and present, we’ll see that more important than what we pray is knowing the One to whom we pray!

Presenter - Jennifer Briner

Jennifer is a full-time mom, speaker, and trainer. With an enthusiasm for God that is contagious, she conveys truth through teaching, music, drama, and dance; she has utilized her gifts to plant churches overseas. Jennifer serves in the NAVS ministry at the University of Missouri – Columbia developing disciples and leaders. She is married to her wonderful husband, Eric, and has five awesome kids: James (15), Nathan (13), Rachel (12), Emma (9), and Maisey (5).

Developing True Fellowship

Description

When Paul encouraged true fellowship among new believers in Philippians 1:27, he described it as a group "standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel." His idea of fellowship extended beyond the idea of mere community and into the realm of the teamwork experienced by combatants in a life and death struggle. God's desire for fellowship is a mutual effort focused on advancing the gospel of Jesus into a world hostile to the one true God. But how do we develop this? This workshop provides the opportunity to provide vision and direction for authentic, biblical fellowship with a purpose. Those new to following Christ should leave excited about the fun involved in pursuing others who don’t know Jesus together while encouraging one another in every facet of life.

Presenter - Bob Sather

Bob Sather came to Christ through an investigative Bible study as a freshman at the University of Nebraska. Since then he has ministered with The Navigators in Tokyo and Kobe Japan, Cedar Falls and Ames, Iowa, Omaha, NE and Manhattan, KS. He currently lives in Omaha with his wife Sue. The Lord has given them three children, Amy, Jason and Matthew. After several years in staff leadership roles, Bob currently serves on Creighton and Kansas State University campuses.

Strength and Safety in Numbers: the Power of Leading a Small Group

Description

What does it look like to live the Christian life together? Community is inherent within our DNA and God has called us to walk with Jesus in the context of others. This is our design, even if we don't see it. We will seek to explore the power of small groups, why I believe they are not just a good thing but are imperative, and how to facilitate one. We'll focus on how your small group can be one that can bond, grow together relationally and be an integral part of living life together as we pursue intimacy with Jesus.

Presenter - Mark McElmurry

Mark came to faith in Christ right before college at Missouri State. Upon marriage to his college sweetheart, he moved to the promised land of Lawrence, KS. He came on staff with the Navigators in 1994, became campus director in 1996 and stayed in that position until Matt Podszus overthrew him in 2004. (not seriously) He and his family moved to St Louis so he could complete his Master's in Counseling at Covenant Theological Seminary. He came on staff full-time at Covenant this past summer as the Director of Student Life where he is giddy to be able to apply the things about small groups with a number of seminary men. His loves include running, connecting deeply with his family and the two greatest teams on earth - the Jayhawks and the St Louis Cardinals.

Evangelism as a Way of Life

Description

Just before ascending to heaven, Jesus said in Acts 1:8 that His disciples would be empowered to be His witnesses, not just go do witnessing. What is the difference between being a witness and doing witnessing? The answer reveals the call to a lifestyle, an identity, a way of life that always draws the lost into a saving relationship Jesus Christ! This workshop provides an opportunity for believers to answer Jesus' call for their lives to become a witness, a lifelong fisher of men (and women) no matter where God places them in life! You will learn critical concepts, principles, and resources for helping people take their next steps towards knowing Christ. Practical advice and stories should send students away encouraged that God can use them and their daily efforts to reach their lost family, friends, peers, classmates, and workmates for a lifetime.

Presenter - Ron Bennett

Ron Bennett graduated from Iowa State University with a B. S. degree in Aerospace Engineering. Ron worked for Boeing Aircraft and served as an officer in the U.S. Army infantry and military intelligence including a tour in Viet Nam. He joined the staff of The Navigators in 1970 leading and supervising collegiate ministries in the Midwest. In 1990 he moved to Kansas City where he became part of The Navigators Church Discipleship Ministry (CDM). He authored the book Intentional Disciplemaking by NavPress and co-authored the books Opening the Door, and The Adventure of Discipling Others. He and his wife Mary have co-authored a Bible study series for new believers called Beginning the Walk also published by NavPress. Ron is currently the Heartland Regional Director for The Navigators Church Discipleship Ministry where he and his staff are coaching church leaders in developing intentional disciplemaking ministries to men. Ron and Mary live in Kansas City and have four grown children.

A Vision for Discipleship: Generations and Spritual Multiplication

Description

In Genesis 1 we see that God has a desire for His image to spread through the whole earth and that He designed people to reproduce after their own kind. Where this obviously applied to Adam and Eve physically, it still applies to all of God's people spiritually too. When Jesus left His disciples, He told them to go and make disciples who would obey all of His commands, including the call to make more disciples (Matthew 28:18-20). Even better, this process plays out best in the most personal way, from one relationship to another, and is the model the Apostle Paul passed on to his disciple, Timothy (2 Timothy 2:2). The power of multiplication, played out over enough time, could easily change the entire world if His people will commit to it. We should come away excited with a fresh perspective on how each of us could fit into God's global plan by being a faithful messenger passing on the gospel one person at a time believing in faith that God will use this mechanism to reach the entire world!

Presenter - Mark Day

Having met the Navs soon after becoming a new believer as a college freshmen, Mark grew spiritually with Nav help on the Texas A&M campus under the leadership of Navigator Staff, Dave Dawson. Following engineering studies at A&M, he became an Army Combat Engineering Officer which enabled continued Navigator training and experience under the influence of former Navy man Harv Cox, Paul Drake, Mel Duke, LeRoy Eims and Roger Flemning. Initial staff assignments following staff training on Okinawa, Japan, included two years with the military ministry in Thailand and four years leading the military ministry at Ellsworth AFB a SAC (Strategic Air Command) base near Rapid City, South Dakota. Mark also served for 25 years as the Navigator ministry campus director at Texas A&M University. Currently he serves as Regional Leader for the Nav collegiate ministries in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa. In addition he serves as Divisional Director for the Collegiate Central Division. Married for thirty-three years, Mark and his wife Lexie have four children, three great son-in-laws and seven grandchildren and currently live in Shawnee, KS.

Life on EDGE Corps

Description

Have you ever wondered what it would look like to give up a couple years to reach students with the gospel on a college campus and receive training to live as a lifelong laborer in God’s Kingdom no matter where God sends you later in life? The college campus is perhaps the most strategic place on the planet to raise up quality leaders and laborers for God's harvest and to be trained how to do it well.

Presenter - Iowa State EDGE Staff

Come and join the Iowa State EDGE staff (Andy 2nd year, Sarah 1st year, Lindsey 1st year focusing on internationals, and Joel and Tori/married couple 1st year) for a quick look at the opportunity to serve on staff with The Navigators through the EDGE Corps, to be able to ask questions and learn about the nuts and bolts of ministry as well. You will also hear how God has worked in and through them on campus and the experiences and life lessons they have learned while on EDGE Corps.

Accepting the challenge: every tribe, tongue, people, and nation

Description

"Can we hasten the return of Christ? (2 Pet 3:12) Come find out what Jesus meant when he said "the gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in the whole world, as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." We will explore God's heart for the world- and if you heart has already been captured to reach the world- we will also discuss the most daunting part of being called overseas- how to team up and get ready to go! We'll introduce a clear 7 step process that will help you make decisions with vision and priority to get you and your teammates fully prepared for God's call on your life.

Presenter - Joseph Peer

Joseph Peer met the Navigators while in college playing baseball at Austin Peay State University in TN. He has been on Nav Military staff for over six years, most recently pioneering a new Military ministry at Ft. Stewart, GA. He has been married for six years and has two children. They plan on going overseas to reach Muslims in the next 3-5 years after attending graduate school. Joseph and his family are currently interns with the USIMG in Colorado Springs- their passion is mobilizing people to reach whatever people group God lays on their heart.

For God and Country: Serving and Succeeding

Description

Military personnel in today's armed forces spend tremendous amounts of time together working as a team, training, and on deployment all over the world. What could be more strategic than living out God's global purposes while serving in the armed forces?! Living a daily life of excellence in the military, walking with God while facing dangerous and potentially life threatening situations, how does a young man or woman live as a "military insider" helping point others toward Jesus, growing strong in Him, and reaching others? Is military service to one's country legitimate according to the Bible? Answering these questions and more while helping those attending the workshop to see that God can and will use them right where they are, should make this an empowering workshop for either those who are prior service and/or ROTC cadets, as well as those hoping to minister to Military/ROTC members on their college campus and in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Presenter - Jim Lee and Duane Perry

"Jim Lee, a USAFA graduate, served his country as an officer in the US Air Force for 20 years. Now in the second half of life, Jim is on full-time staff with the Navigators Military Ministry striving to make disciples for Jesus among the military community by God's grace and power. Duane Perry, a graduate of ISU, served in the Navy and has ministered to military in four different countries overseas before serving in his present role as the field leader for the Rocky Mountain Heartland military ministries. He is married to Ana and they have six children, two currently in college and one in grad school."

Tools for Embracing the Reality of Prayer

Description

A good number of us believe prayer is powerful and effective but fail to experience its power in our daily walk with God. This workshop will provide encouragement and fresh ideas of ways to make prayer a regular and effective activity for a lifetime. Some potential topics we’ll cover include the basic biblical elements of prayer: Confession, Adoration, Thanksgiving, and Supplication. We’ll introduce practical ideas like the ripple prayer and journaling to help build structure and consistency so that we’ll leave with a plan to adjust our prayer life to be effective as we return to campus!

Presenter - Rob Clark

Rob was born and raised in the small town of Garden City, Iowa. He married Machelle in 1987 and farmed with his father for 6 years before God called him and his wife into ministry with the Navigators. Machelle and Rob have been on staff with the Navigators for 15 years ministering at ISU and currently at UNK in our 12th year. They have 6 children from 18 yrs down to 3 yrs of age. Machelle and Rob love being involved in our kids activities and meeting their friends' families. They also love our time with students on campus and the challenges that come with it.

Restoring Identity and Trusting Christ

Description

In our media driven culture, we find so many competing ideas of how to “find ourselves” and our “true” identities but a Biblical view of identity says that your identity is shaped by a variety of things which, if not restored by a relationship with Christ, result in addictions, eating disorders, broken relationships, depression, confusion and a myriad of problems. The alternative? Trusting that what God says about you is true. Join us to discover who God made you to be and how to live out that identity in relationship with Christ.

Presenter - Travis Stewart

Travis Stewart is a Professional Counselor and Nav Associate Staff. After serving with The Navigators collegiate ministry for eight years, Travis completed coursework at Covenant Theological Seminary for degrees in counseling and theology. Since then he has worked He then worked as a therapist and educator at Remuda Ranch, a treatment center for eating disorders. His teaching style is very interactive as he seeks to include transformative truth communicated through word, discussion and media. He lives in Phoenix with his wife Susan and two children, Laura and Spencer.

Jesus goes Greek!

Description

Joining a Fraternity or Sorority in college can feel a lot like entering "the dark ages" of spiritual life where God rarely comes up in conversations. Yet, this same peer pressure that can lead us to be "silent Christians" can also be harnessed to produce extraordinary influence on young men and women for the Kingdom of God. Jesus knew this, that is why he never shyed away from the "party crowd"! Come learn how to grow in being an influencer for Christ amongst your fraternity brothers or sorority sisters!

Presenter - Mike and Kim Havenstein

Mike and Kim consider themselves fortunate enough to have the best job in the world: loving students like you with the hopes you in turn fall farther in love with Jesus! Since they themselves grew so much in their relationship with Jesus while in college, they understand the significance of this critical time of life. Mike and Kim Havenstein have been on staff with the Navigators since 1996: first in Ohio, and now in Nebraska. Prior to fulltime ministry, they each worked fulltime in the corporate world for a number of years. Mike and Kim have been married since October 1996, and have three children: sons Brayden (7) and Connor (5), and a princess, Abbi (4).